Speakers

Ms. Kelley Artz serves as the Supply Chain Risk Management Technical Expert in the
Office of Policy and Compliance for the Federal Acquisition Service of GSA. In her 22-
year career, Ms. Artz has led Enterprise Risk Management programs in the Intelligence
and DoD communities. She has both public and private sector experience in supply
chain risk management, including leveraging tools to identify and solve root cause
problems. She specializes in change management, as well as evaluation of enterprise
processes for ongoing risk mitigation and systematic improvements to future
outcomes.

She has held positions of increasing responsibility supporting IT programs for the
Federal government, moving from project manager, to program manager, and to
account executive. As the Business Area Director for a major defense contractor, Ms.
Artz led a $55M account for the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency supporting secure software development and cloud
migration activities. She served as Senior Vice President for National Security at a
defense contracting company focused on cybersecurity before returning to government
service last year.

In addition to her MBA, she has earned the following certifications: Project Management
Professional (PMP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified in the
Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT), and Security +ce.

Bailey Bickley is the Chief of DIB Defense at the NSA Cybersecurity Collaboration Center (CCC). In this role, she’s responsible for scaling intel-driven cybersecurity solutions across the U.S. Defense Industrial Base (DIB).

Her former positions include CCC’s Chief Strategy Officer and Chief of NSA Cybersecurity Communications. In both roles, she drove culture change and revitalized the way the NSA engages with the cybersecurity community at the unclassified level.

Bailey has worked across two Intelligence Community Agencies, as well as in the private sector. She earned her undergraduate in Communications and her masters degree in Management. She is an eternal optimist and dog person. In her spare time, you’ll find her outside.
 

Paul Blahusch has over 20 years of cyber and IT security experience with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). He serves as the Director of Cybersecurity and the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for DOL in the Office of the Chief Information Officer. In this role, Mr. Blahusch supports the Department’s overall mission by promoting and bolstering enterprise-wide cybersecurity efforts.

He previously served as the Information Technology Security Officer for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As CISO, he is responsible for security initiatives within the Department of Labor, including but not limited to regulatory compliance and oversight, Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) implementation and planning, computer awareness and training, and computer security incident response. His role in the Department also involves collaborating with senior leadership to integrate information security with capital planning, enterprise architecture, and information collection initiatives.

Paul Blahusch holds a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

Ms. Stacy Bostjanick is a member of the Senior Executive Service and serves as the Chief Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity, Deputy Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity (DCIO(CS)), Office of the Chief Information Officer.

In this position, she serves as the focal point within the DoD CIO to implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program across the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). As the CMMC Director, Ms. Bostjanick is responsible for shepherding this critical program though the Code of Federal Regulation System rulemaking process for both the CFR 32 and 48 and ultimately implementing the program across the more than 220,000 companies that make up the DIB. This includes collaborating across the Federal Government with partners such as the Department of Homeland Security and the other members of the Federal Acquisition Security Council, to standardize this process and truly federalize it.

In this role, she also directs the Department’s efforts to educate DIB partners on programatic requirements and ensures that DoD implements risk information sharing though the program’s execution. Additionally, Ms. Bostjanick is responsible for ensuring the Defense Acquisition community is trained and capable of including these requirements in their Programs and Acquisitions.

Major General Bowers currently serves as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruiting Command.  Throughout his career, he has served in every Marine Expeditionary Force, in every element of the Marine Air Ground Task Force, and in most parts of the supporting establishment.  He was commissioned in 1990 after graduating with distinction from Virginia Military Institute with a B.A. in History.  After completing The Basic School and Marine Corps Engineer School, he served in a variety of assignments in the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade on Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii from 1991-1994, deploying to Southwest Asia and locations in the Pacific.  In June 1994, he reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego and served as a Series Commander, Company Commander and Regimental S-3A.  After graduation from the U.S. Army’s Engineer Officer Advanced Course in May 1997, he reported to 7th Engineer Support Battalion at Camp Pendleton, California and served as S-3A, Charlie Company Commander, Battalion Operations Officer and Executive Officer.

In June 2000, he reported to Recruiting Station Lansing, Michigan and served as Commanding Officer until July 2003.  In August 2003, he reported to the Naval Command and Staff College in Newport, Rhode Island, and then attended the School of Advanced Warfighting at Quantico, Virginia.  He checked into III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan in 2005 and served as the Operational Planning Team Branch Head for G-3, Future Operations.  From Okinawa, he deployed to Iraq and served as a Plans Team Leader for Multi-National Force Iraq.  He assumed command of Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 in Beaufort, South Carolina in May 2007.  After deploying with the squadron to Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008-2009, he relinquished command in May 2009 and reported as a student to the National War College in Washington D.C.  In June 2010, he reported to the Joint Staff, J-5 Directorate as the Strategy Concepts Branch Chief.

From 2012-2015, he commanded the 6th Marine Corps District at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina.  From 2015-2017, he served as the Military Assistant to the 33rd and 34th Assistant Commandants of the Marine Corps.  In July 2017 upon selection to Brigadier General, he was assigned as the President, Marine Corps University and Commanding General, Education Command.  In July 2019, he assumed duties as Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations Pacific - Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, on Okinawa, Japan.  He assumed command of Marine Corps Recruiting Command in July 2022.

Major General Bowers’ personal decorations include the Legion of Merit (with gold star), the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with two gold stars), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal.  He was the “Combat Engineer Officer of the Year” in 1998 and has received several academic and writing awards. 

Derrick T. Davis is currently the Director for Industrial Cyber Security for the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP).  He directly oversees several programs in support of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), including Project Spectrum cybersecurity outreach initiative. Mr. Davis provides strategic leadership for cybersecurity, and program-support professionals. He utilizes his extensive experience with cyber security and policy strategy to direct Department Cyber Security readiness.

Amanda Day is the Acting Director of Enterprise Cyber Security Assessments for the Department of Homeland Security which governs Enterprise Vulnerability Management, Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management, and Assessment Controls programs.

The Assessments Division proactively identifies and mitigates cyber risks through penetration testing, Cyber Hygiene evaluations, and security control assessments. By prioritizing and addressing vulnerabilities, the Division safeguards digital assets and maintains stakeholder trust. We collaborate with internal and external partners to minimize risks of exploitation and unauthorized access, ensuring system resilience. The Division's commitment to proactive assessments allows for quick adaptation to emerging threats and upholds high cybersecurity standards across the organization, protecting sensitive information and uphold the public’s trust in the Department of Homeland Security.

Amanda began her government career in 2008 at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, supporting the Enterprise Architect and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). She held roles in governance, certification and accreditation, audit remediation, risk assessments, IT security policy, and cybersecurity training. In 2016, she joined DHS Headquarters, established a cybersecurity training program, formed a Vulnerability Management program, and served as the Knowledge Management and Metrics Chief at the Enterprise Security Operations Center. In 2022, Amanda served as Acting CISO for the DHS Science & Technology Component.

Additionally, Amanda has a degree in Information Systems with a concentration in Computer Security.  Her professional motto is, “tell me the good, the bad, the ugly” as she emphasis you can’t solve the issues if you don’t talk about them.

Dr. Michael S. Foster, currently serving as a Highly Qualified Expert, is US Central Command’s Chief Data Officer at MacDill Air Force Base. He is responsible for leading digital modernization across the command, as well as optimizing data access, interoperability, and governance. His portfolio includes artificial intelligence as means to accelerate data-centric operations.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Foster spent five years in the defense industry developing dual use technologies for commercial and government applications. As a software engineer, he developed and applied artificial intelligence, leveraging automated processes to drive satellite operations and rapid decision making. Dr. Foster began his government career in 1999 as a U.S. Air Force officer, commissioned through the United States Air Force Academy. He served as a physicist within the acquisition career field with assignments in the Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities, and National Reconnaissance Office.

Dr. Foster then transitioned to civilian service at the National Geospatial-intelligence Agency (NGA) with assignments in the Office of Corporate Communications, Analysis Directorate, and Source Directorate. These roles included leadership of NGA’s advanced analytics portfolio, as well as stratification of emerging commercial capabilities. Dr. Foster was appointed a Defense Intelligence Senior Leader in Dec 2016.

Army Col. Richard Leach is the director of Defense Information Systems Agency’s J-2 Intelligence and Security Directorate. He is responsible for coordination, collaboration, and integration of intelligence across the combatant commands and intelligence community to enhance DISA’s information needs. This effort will leverage intelligence community capabilities to improve decision making across DISA’s operational lines of effort and strategic campaign planning.

The Intelligence and Security Directorate will help DISA employees support the warfighter by maintaining security measures related to personnel clearances and contracts. The directorate will also ensure sensitive and classified information is not accessed by foreign entities. As an Army reservist, Leach held a variety of roles in the military, government, and industry before joining DISA. Before being activated, Leach was a division chief under the Risk Management Directorate, and chair of the DoD Security and Cybersecurity Authorization Working Group.

During his last military assignment, Leach was the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency headquarters, U.S. Army Reserve detachment officer in charge, where he supported disaster emergency response communications. From 2018 to 2020, he served at U.S. Cyber Command as the J-2 for Joint Task Force-Ares, supporting cyber operations against global violent extremist organizations.

In addition to his intelligence background, Leach also holds a secondary area of concentration as a 26B, information systems engineer. He served as the chief systems engineer for the 335th Theater Signal Command in Kuwait in 2017. Other operational assignments include the National Ground Intelligence Center, and tactical assignments within Afghanistan and Iraq.

Leach commissioned through ROTC in 1996. He earned a bachelor’s degree in justice, cum laude, from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and is working on a master’s degree from the College of Information and Cyberspace at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.

He holds certifications as CISSP, CASP, SEC+, AWS foundations, and ITIL 4. His military awards include two Bronze Stars, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Joint Service Commendation Medal and other service and campaign medals.

Vicki Michetti is the Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) for Enterprise IT Policy Governance. In this role, Ms. Michetti provides leadership, strategic direction, and executive oversight of the Department’s annual Information Technology (IT) investment budget of approximately $2.3 billion dollars and serves as a key advisor to the Principal Deputy CIO and CIO. .  A primary objective of the DCIO is to deliver IT business value through IT leadership, policy, direction, guidance, management, integration, and governance; and support the CIO and other DOE senior managers on the strategic use of IT for core business processes and achievement of mission critical goals.  Directly overseeing IT Portfolio Management, Enterprise Policy and Governance the DCIO defines and implements policy, procedures, and guidelines to ensure efficient and cost-effective IT management and planning in support of Department of Energy (DOE) missions and objectives.

Prior to joining OCIO, Ms. Michetti served as Acting Deputy Chief Information Security Officer and Executive Director of Information Security Policy and Strategy, in the Office of Information Security (OIS) at Department of Veterans Affairs, where she directed cybersecurity metrics, reporting and dashboarding efforts and serves as a catalyst for organizational change and governance to mitigate cybersecurity risks. She previously served as a senior cybersecurity advisor to Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Chief Information Security Officer, developing cybersecurity plans, strategy, and policy to support organizational cybersecurity initiatives.

Before serving the Department of Veterans Affairs, she was the Director of Cybersecurity Policy and Partnerships, Office of the Department of Defense Deputy Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity, Office of the DoD CIO. She also served as the Director of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) Cyber Security (DIB CS) Program which is a public private partnership focused on elevating cybersecurity in the DIB. 

Ms. Michetti has experience working in industry as an Information Systems Engineer and as a Program Analyst.  She developed strategic concepts and supported policy development for DIB related activities and strategies to enhance network reliability. 

Ms. Michetti is a veteran who honorably served on Active Duty in the U.S. Air Force, retiring in October 2007.  Her career included an assignment at The Joint Staff and commanding the 25th Weather Squadron, an organization of over 200 personnel responsible for the 24/7 mission, flight operations, and resource protection for 86 DoD installations in 822 operating areas to include the western one-third of the United States and all DoD assets operating in Central and South America

Ms. Michetti earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from California State University, Sacramento, and a Master's degree in Atmospheric Science from Creighton University. Her awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, and the Global War on Terrorism medal. 

Lam D. Nguyen, a member of the scientific and professional cadre of senior executives, is the Chief Scientist for the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center. He serves as the principle strategic advisor on matters related to cyber risk mitigation, cyber defense and analytics, and criminal and counterintelligence forensics.

Mr. Nguyen began service with the Air Force in 2019 as Laboratory Director for the Cyber Forensics Lab. Prior to his current tenure, Mr. Nguyen served in a variety of leadership roles across the public and private sector including the Drug Enforcement Administration, FireEye, Stroz Friedberg, and the High Technology Investigative Unit at the Department of Justice. Mr. Nguyen has also held adjunct positions at The George Washington University and George Mason University. He is a recognized expert in the field of Digital Forensics and E-Discovery and has led large-scale international investigations in both criminal and civil cases. He has testified as an expert witness in numerous federal jurisdictions.

Mr. Brynt Parmeter was appointed as the inaugural Chief Talent Management Officer (CTMO) for the Department of Defense on April 10, 2023. In this role, which resides in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, he works across the Military Departments, Joint Staff, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and with interagency partners to lead the development and implementation of the DoD Total Force talent acquisition, workforce development, and talent management strategy.

Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Mr. Parmeter was the Head of Non-Traditional Talent and Military & Veterans Affairs for Walmart, the Fortune 1 company and the world's largest retailer. Prior to that, he was the Senior Director for STEM Programs as well as the Senior Director for Military Programs for Walmart.

He is an Army combat veteran with nearly 25 years of service before leaving as a colonel. While in the Army, he served as an infantry officer in light, airborne, air assault, and mechanized units in the US, Korea, Germany, and Iraq, to include 39 months of combat service in Tikrit, Samarra, Baghdad, and Tal Afar. Other assignments included the Old Guard, the Joint Readiness Training Center, and the Human Resources Command.

After the Army, Brynt co-founded and grew several different companies in Palo Alto and San Jose, California, in the technology and manufacturing sectors, including NextFlex, an Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Institute focused on the development of flexible-hybrid electronics where he served as the Director of Workforce, Education, and Training.

He was a Principal, and then Partner, in BMNT, Inc., a Palo Alto, California based consulting company, and, also served as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the US Department of Energy. He and his wife also co-founded Call Sign Coffee Company, an eCommerce coffee roasting business that supports members of the military community. In 2017 he was selected to serve as the first Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for California Silicon Valley and continued as a CASA for Arkansas upon his relocation to the state in 2019.

He has served as a member of several national and state boards, including a National Science Foundation industry advisory board on Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work, a board member for work2future, the Santa Clara County Workforce Innovation Board in Silicon Valley, and as Board Vice President for Camp Alliance, Inc., focused on supporting members of the military community.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the United States Military Academy, Master's Degrees from Louisiana State University and the Army War College, and a graduate certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. His wife, Lisa, is the Executive Director of a national veterans service organization. Their daughter, Ashby, is a former US Army Sergeant, and their son, Will, is a soon-to-be US Army Second Lieutenant,

Cherilyn Pascoe is the Director of the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce. As Director, she provides the strategic direction and technical leadership for the NCCoE, which brings experts from industry, government, and academia together to solve cybersecurity challenges. 

Pascoe previously served as Senior Technology Policy Advisor, advising NIST leadership on technology policy and strategy, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and privacy. She has served as the lead of the Cybersecurity Framework program (Journey to NIST CSF 2.0) and supported the NIST AI Risk Management Framework development.

Prior to joining NIST, she served more than a decade in staff leadership roles on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation working for former Senator Hutchison (R-TX), Senator Thune (R-SD), and Senator Wicker (R-MS). She served as Deputy Policy Director managing the Committee’s Space and Science Subcommittee, which has legislative and oversight jurisdiction over science, technology, standards, and civil space policy. During her time on the Hill, she led efforts to develop and advance several notable pieces of legislation, including the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, the AV Start Act, as well as three surface transportation reauthorization laws and ten cybersecurity laws. 

Pascoe received her M.A. in International Science and Technology Policy from the George Washington University and her B.S. Chem. with Highest Honors in Chemistry from the University of Michigan.

Rajeev Raghavan currently serves as a Special Counsel to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Raghavan served in the Department of Justice as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland. In that role, Mr. Raghavan prosecuted a wide variety of federal criminal cases, including cyber, national security, public corruption, financial fraud, and gun trafficking and drug offenses. Mr. Raghavan was selected by the U.S. Attorney to serve as a Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator for the District of Maryland, acting as a primary point-of-contact for law enforcement activities regarding cybercrime. Mr. Raghavan was the sole prosecutor that investigated and charged the operator of WT1SHOP, which was one of the largest online marketplaces for stolen credentials. He also led the prosecution of a defendant who sent threats via an anonymous encrypted email account to doctors at the National Institutes of Health during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recognition of his work as a prosecutor, Mr. Raghavan was awarded the United States Attorney’s Office FBI Service Award and received a letter of recognition from the U.S. Postal Service for his work on fraud matters. Mr. Raghavan also prosecuted one of the first federal ghost gun cases, developing the legal strategy for such prosecutions and presented nationally on the matter as part of the Attorney General's National Ghost Gun Enforcement Initiative.

Mr. Raghavan earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School, his master’s degree from the University of Michigan, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton. Following law school, Mr. Raghavan joined the international law firm of Linklaters LLP where he spent three years practicing civil litigation. He then clerked for Judge William J. Martini of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. After his clerkship, Mr. Raghavan joined the international law firm of Covington & Burling LLP where he practiced law in the area of government investigations and white-collar crime.

Ms. Cynthia G. Snyder assumed the position of Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Human Capital (ADNI/HC) in January 2023. In this role, Ms. Snyder leads the design, development, and execution of human capital strategies, plans, and policies in support of the U.S. Intelligence Community workforce and in furtherance of the National Intelligence Strategy.

Ms. Snyder brings decades of leadership experience to the role of ADNI/HC through both military and intelligence environments. Before joining ODNI, Ms. Snyder served approximately 18 years in leadership at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), most recently as the Associate Director for Support (ADS), where she managed human resources, training and education, career services, leader development, and facilities and installation management activities.

Ms. Snyder’s other leadership roles at NGA included Director of the NGA Human Development Strategies Office, Director of Installation Operations, Deputy Director for Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) Mission Planning and Policy for the Analysis Plans and Business Operations Group, and cochair of the GEOINT Analysis and Production Subcommittee (GAPSCOM). (U) Ms. Snyder also served as the Department of the Navy (DoN) Naval Intelligence (NAVINTEL) Civilian Human Capital Officer (CHCO) as a joint duty assignment. In this role, she was a member of the IC Chief Human Capital Officers Council, which she now leads as the ADNI/HC.

Ms. Snyder joined the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service in 2007, after serving 25 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force and retiring at the rank of Colonel. During her distinguished military career, Ms. Snyder gained extensive leadership and management experience across four commands and numerous installation and staff positions, including as Deputy Base Commander during Iraqi Freedom.

Ms. Snyder holds two Master of Science degrees, one in operations management from the University of Arkansas, and the other in national resource strategy from the National Defense University. She is a proud graduate of Tennessee State University, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. In recognition of exceptional performance throughout her career, Ms. Snyder received a Presidential Rank Award in FY 2019.

Originally from Alden, New York, COL Jeff Strauss is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Construction Science. He is also a graduate of 

the Officer Basic Course, Captains Career Course, and Command and General Staff College. In addition to his formal military education COL Strauss holds Master’s Degrees in  National Security and Resource Strategy from The Dwight D. Eisenhower School and in Cybersecurity from the University of Maryland, Baltimore  County along with Program Management Professional certification.  

As a Transportation Corps officer, COL Strauss’ first assignment was with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, Louisiana where he served as a Platoon Leader,  Troop Executive Officer, Squadron S1, and Regimental Support Operations Officer  including deployment in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon graduation form the Combined  Logistics Captains Career Course COL Strauss was assigned to the 589th Brigade  Support Battalion, 4th Fires Brigade, 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) where he held  staff positions as the Brigade Supply and Services Officer and Battalion S-1 before  assuming command of Alpha Company for 28 months to include a second combat  deployment to Baghdad, Iraq as part of OIF 05-07. Later, COL Strauss transitioned to  the Acquisition Corps and the US Army Operational Test Command where he  conducted numerous operational assessments in support of rapid fielding initiatives for  counter-IED robotics and deployed to Afghanistan with the Forward Operational  Assessment Team. Other Acquisition assignments include Assistant Product Manager  roles for the Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance Aircraft in direct support  of Task Force ODIN with Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare,  and Sensors and Assistant Product Manager for the Command Post Computing  Environment (CP CE) for the Program Executive Office Command, Control, and  Communications-Tactical. COL Strauss also served as the Senior Acquisition Advisor  in the Survivability Evaluation Directorate, US Army Evaluation Center focusing on live  fire and cyber survivability testing. COL Strauss was the Joint Product Manager for  Reconnaissance and Platform Integration (RP&I) in the Joint Program Executive Office  for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense and was recognized as the  2020 Army Acquisition Executive’s Excellence in Leadership Award winner for Product  Management/Product Director Office Professional of the Year (O5 Level). His most  recent assignment was as, Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for  Mission Capabilities in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and  Engineering. COL Strauss currently serves as the Military Deputy for Acquisitions at the  Defense Information Systems Agency. 

COL Strauss’ awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal,  three Bronze Star Medals, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, six Meritorious  Service Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, the 

Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and numerous unit, service, and  campaign awards from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. COL Strauss was among the  2013 Team C4ISR Top 10 Employee of the Year. COL Strauss has also been inducted  in to the prestigious military regimental Orders of the Dragon (Chemical), St. Michael’s  (Aviation), St. Barbra’s (Field Artillery), and St. Christopher’s (Transportation).

Rachel Allen is an engineering manager for Cybersecurity AI at NVIDIA. Her team’s focus is the research and development of GPU-accelerated machine learning, deep learning, and GenAI applications to solve cybersecurity challenges.

Prior to NVIDIA, Rachel was a lead data scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton where she designed a variety of capabilities for advanced threat hunting and network defense.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science and a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Virginia.

Gerald Caron was the Chief Information Officer for the International Trade Administration. In this role, he implements information technology services, solutions, and strategy for an agency of 2,200 employees across 100 U.S. cities and 80 international markets.

Caron has two decades of experience leading global teams in IT operations and cybersecurity. Prior to joining ITA, he was the Chief Information Officer and Assistant Inspector General of Information Technology at the Department of Health and Human Services during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also served at the State Department in various technical roles, including as Director of Enterprise Network Management oversaw the Department’s infrastructure and operations (network, perimeter security, active directory and much more) and was extensively involved in mitigating cybersecurity attacks. He began public service in the U.S. Army for seven years.

Caron is a tri-chair on the interagency U.S. Chief Information Officers Council’s E-Ops Committee for Zero Trust, whose aim is to drive efficiency and effectiveness of government cybersecurity effectiveness. He also chairs the Zero Trust Working Group for the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center (ATARC), a non-profit that bridges the gap between government, industry, and academia on emergent technologies. Previously, he chaired ATARC’s Trusted Internet Connection 3.0 Working Group.

Caron is a recipient of the FedHealthIT 100 2022 and 2023 award. He was named GovCIO’s 2022 and 2023 GovCIO Zero Trust Advocate Flywheel Award, ATARC’s 2022 Government Member of the Year, FedScoop’s Best Bosses in Federal IT 2022, FedTech’s 30 Federal IT Influencers Worth a Follow in 2023 and Public Sector Networks Global Top 50 Government Innovators of 2023. He is a graduate of Northern Virginia Community College and holds certification from Forrester as a Zero Trust Strategist.

Jim is currently a CTO at NetApp US Public Sector and has over 25 years of technology
engineering and leadership experience supporting a variety of Federal and Department of
Defense agencies. Jim has focused on Data Management, Storage, and Security for over
20 years including On-Premises, Hybrid, and Multi-Cloud Data Fabric technologies
which include Multi-Domain Operations and Foreign Mission Environments.

Jim has apassion for teaming with agencies, customers, partners, and colleagues to drive winningoutcomes, and he thrives on helping customers architect optimal, cost-efficient, and
secure data management solutions using NetApp technology.

Dr. Celia Merzbacher is Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), a consortium that aims to enable and grow the U.S. quantum industry. QED-C is supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and nearly 250 industry, academic and other members and is managed by SRI International. Dr. Merzbacher is U.S. Co-Chair of the Quad Investors Network’s Quantum Center of Excellence and serves on as an advisor to several quantum research organizations. Previously, Dr. Merzbacher was Vice President for Innovative Partnerships at the Semiconductor Research Corporation.  In 2003-2008, she was Assistant Director for Technology R&D in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Executive Director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.  Dr. Merzbacher is a Fellow of the AAAS and served as Chair of the National Materials and Manufacturing Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and on the Board of Directors of ANSI.

Dr. Celia Merzbacher is Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), a consortium that aims to enable and grow the U.S. quantum industry. QED-C is supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and nearly 250 industry, academic and other members and is managed by SRI International. Dr. Merzbacher is U.S. Co-Chair of the Quad Investors Network’s Quantum Center of Excellence and serves on as an advisor to several quantum research organizations. Dr. Merzbacher is a Fellow of the AAAS and served as Chair of the National Materials and Manufacturing Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.

Mr. Panos supports Google Cloud’s Manufacturing and Industry clients worldwide throughout their cloud transformation journeys and focuses on cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, risk management, and privacy.

Before joining Google, Nick was a Director of Customer Success at a late stage AI/ML startup where he led digital transformations for customers in heavily regulated industries. Prior to that role, Nick served in the US Navy for 20+ years as an aviator, intelligence officer, and accredited diplomat in Berlin, Germany where cybersecurity was a major part of his portfolio.

As a strategic advisor to the US Ambassador to Germany, Nick was directly involved in the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), establishment of Germany’s quantum computing hub, and development of national cybersecurity policies to counter threats from nation-state actors.

Dirk Wiker is the Cyber Security Solutions Architect within Federal Strategic Programs at Dell Technologies. He recently joined Dell Technologies after 20 years of federal government service. Over the last several years in the government, Dirk managed the Cybersecurity Operations and Engineering divisions at two federal civilian agencies. His focus since coming to Dell has been assisting federal customers with their zero trust journeys.

Natalie Alms is a staff reporter at Nextgov/FCW covering federal technology policy, service delivery, customer experience and the government's tech workforce. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and has written for the Salisbury (N.C.) Post. 

Amber Corrin is a communications strategist with deep experience in national security, government technology and acquisition. Currently working in a consulting capacity, Amber advises on content development, audience outreach, thought leadership, and broader strategic counsel. Most recently, Amber served as part of the public affairs team at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; prior to DARPA, she was Sage Communications' first-ever PR content director. Amber’s work in PR and public affairs follows more than 12 years in journalism, most of which she spent covering defense technology, policy and government contracting, including as the editor of C4ISRNET and Federal Times. Amber is an honors graduate of West Virginia University.

David DiMolfetta covers cybersecurity for Nextgov/FCW. Previously, he researched The Cybersecurity 202 and The Technology 202 newsletters at The Washington Post and covered AI, cybersecurity and technology policy for S&P Global Market Intelligence. He holds a BBA from The George Washington University and an MS from Georgetown University. 

Edward Graham is a technology reporter for Nextgov/FCW, where he reports on national security technologies and policies, the Department of Veterans Affairs and election security issues. He received his master’s degree in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University in 2016.

Heather Kuldell-Ware is a freelance editor and writer who has covered government technology and cybersecurity for the last 15 years. Her work has appeared in Nextgov, C4ISRNET, Federal Times, GCN and other government-focused publications. When she’s not thinking about cloud computing or AI advancements, she is playing with consumer gadgets for Popular Science and AP Buyline.

George Jackson is the director of events at GovExec Media – the largest and most-influential media company in the public sector marketplace. George joined GovExec in October of 2020 to enhance the scale of their events and audience experiences.

He graduated from The Ohio State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in English. In 2006, he earned his master’s in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

George spent the first five years of his journalism career at WJHL-TV in Johnson City Tenn. – beginning as an overnight producer for the station’s 6 a.m. broadcast. He advanced to lead on-air reporter for WJHL’s 11 p.m. newscast.

As a reporter, George examined the earnings of two non-profit hospital systems, felony charges filed against a local sheriff, predatory paving companies, a health benefits backlog for local veterans, and a series of cold-case murder investigations. He received an honorable mention for Best TV Reporter in the 2011 Tennessee AP Broadcast awards and won a Best Investigative Reporting award from Media General in 2010.

George joined DC’s ABC affiliate WJLA-TV in 2012 to produce Capital Insider, which won him an Emmy award. One year later, he developed and recorded the pilot episode of Government Matters– a program about the business of government. It debuted as a weekly show on Sunday, August 4th of 2013. George led Government Matters through September of 2020, expanded its reach to a daily worldwide audience, and produced its first feature-length documentary “The Dawn of Generation AI.”

George is from Toledo, Ohio. He lives with his wife, twin daughters, and a pair of rescue dogs in Northern Virginia.

Anna Pettyjohn is the Executive Vice President of Product & Strategy at GovExec, where she leads product innovation and business development across events, custom content, and digital experiences. With a focus on enhancing audience engagement and driving growth, she oversees strategic initiatives that align with GovExec’s mission to deliver impactful content, creative and marketing programs for the public sector. Anna also plays a key role in shaping the company's vision, ensuring that GovExec's offerings remain cutting-edge in a rapidly evolving market.

Constance Sayers is the President of Government Executive Media Group where she leads revenue and programs for all GEMG brands. As president, Sayers launched the Route Fifty brand and led all product development and design as well as marketing, audience and sales strategy for the award-winning, digital publication aimed at state and local leaders. Twice, she was named to Folio's "Folio 100" annual list of innovators for both 2014 and 2015 and their "Top Women in Media" for 2015. Previously, she served as publisher of Government Executive Media Group where she helped launch the Defense One brand.

In 2010, she re-joined Atlantic Media to serve as vice-president of National Journal LIVE and one year later was promoted to direct the ad sales team. At National Journal, she developed the media company’s 2008 and 2012 Presidential Elections and Conventions programs including producing thirty-eight events and an award-winning mobile application. She also brokered all event partnerships with on-air talent from CBS News and ABC News. Her media experience includes leading the advertising, marketing, and events divisions at CQ/Roll Call and Government Executive where she received a Chairman’s Award for revenue growth.

 For years, she led the Excellence in Government Conference, the expansion to Excellence in Government West and was part of the team that founded the Service to America Medals (SAMMIES). In 2007, while at the Council for Excellence in Government, she teamed with with Gallup and Accenture to develop a "Health Care Town Hall" series in Detroit, Miami and Sacramento that was included as part of MTV's “Rock the Vote” Campaign.  

Prior to working in media, Connie led marketing and membership programs at such organizations as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Food and Drug Law Institute, the American Physical Therapy Association, and the American Society for Training and Development. She was the mid-night to six DJ for WMKX-FM commercial radio outside Pittsburgh for four years. Sayers has an M.A. in English from George Mason University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with B.A. in Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. 

Patrick Tucker is science and technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014). Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.

Nick Wakeman is the editor-in-chief of Washington Technology and joined the publication in 1996 as a staff writer. He's a graduate of Bridgewater College and earned a masters degree from American University. When he isn't writing about government contractors, he's thinking of cooking large pieces of meat over fire and dreaming of ways to embarrass his two sons. 

Ross Wilkers covers the business of government contracting, companies and trends that shape the market. He joined WT in 2017 and works with Editor-in-Chief Nick Wakeman to host and produce our WT 360 podcast that features discussions with the market's leading executives and voices. Ross is a native of Northern Virginia and is an alumnus of George Mason University.

Lauren C. Williams is senior editor for Defense One. She previously covered defense technology and cybersecurity for FCW and Defense Systems. Before then, Williams has reported on several issues, including internet culture, national security, health care, politics and crime for various publications. She has a master's in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park and a bachelor's in dietetics from the University of Delaware.